Companies who wish to frack for shale gas in Sussex will now be able to, through an exemption to the fracking moratorium.
The change was announced in the legislature Tuesday.
Energy and Resource Development Minister Mike Holland will now be able to grant exemptions for companies who wish to frack in the Sussex area, as long as they meet very specific requirements.
He says its one step in a bigger plan to responsible development of natural gas resources.
“Part of this whole process is ensuring that industry leading standards are employed at every step along the way, and part of the platform commitment was that it was to be responsible development,” he said in an interview.
Holland says the environmental impact of fracking is something they are always keeping in mind, which is why they are so adamant that industry standards be met across the board.
Holland says responsible natural resource development is something this government has advocated for since day one.
“We had clearly indicated in our platform that we were going to be a government that moved forward with the responsible development of natural resources, in areas that were in favour of it,” he said.
Holland also says this change will likely have a positive impact on the economy.
“The real story is the opportunity that’s presented and if we have private sector companies that are looking to come and invest tens of millions of dollars in rural New Brunswick, then ultimately that’s a big step,” he said.